Ramblers enjoy one of their favourite walks
ON Saturday, December 5, Andrew Padfield led the Carmarthen Ramblers on one of their favourite local walks.
This pleasant 7.5-mile circular walk with a slightly easier six-mile option took in footpaths, an old drovers’ road, bridleways and lanes that run through the green hills surrounding Bronwydd, with some historical points of interest thrown in.
Part of the route ran alongside the lovely River Gwili. There was a reasonable weather forecast for the day – dry, light cloud with a chilly breeze and temperatures hardly rising above 5 degrees Celsius.
The walk started at the village hall in Bronwydd from where they immediately picked up a footpath that ran alongside the River Gwili and followed it for about a quarter of a mile, then left it to cross the railway line and continued through a field to emerge on to the A484 Carmarthen to Cardigan Road at Cwmdwyfran.
Here they walked a couple of hundred metres northwards to reach the Old Smithy and the chapel, then turned on to a track for the start of an hour-long ascent up a green lane. They stopped frequently to look back to appreciate the views that were opening up over
Bronwydd. The perfect peace of the countryside was shattered by a convoy of eight off-road 4x4 vehicles trudging their way up the track behind them.
Fortunately there were a couple of gateways where the walkers managed to pull in to get out of their way and once more appreciate the scenery whilst they passed.
The ascent finished at Foel-fach, the highest point of the day at a height of about 200 metres, where they met the approach lane to the farm and followed it out to Ffoslyn to cross the road that leads up to the golf course and headed west for about half a mile to reach the hamlet of Newchurch.
They took their time as they passed through the hamlet and stopped at the church where they admired the scenery that included a view that extended to Ferryside in the distance and had lunch whilst Andrew related some of the local history. The information board in the church tells of the Rebecca Riots.
In the afternoon those who had opted for the shorter route retraced their steps to Ffoslyn, then turned southwards for just a hundred metres to a road junction. This quiet country road led downhill for almost two miles to reach the A484 again near the junction that leads down to the railway station. This sub group then followed the road back along the road back to the hall.
Meanwhile, the main group located a bridleway near the church and headed southwards down the bridleway to a path that led steeply down through trees where they crossed the Nant Hir brook at the bottom of the valley.
It was then back up a track that led to a very overgrown bridleway. They slashed their way through the undergrowth as they climbed the opposite side of the valley to reach the golf club road near the entrance Llecheigon Farm.
They walked about a mile along this road towards Trevaughan, then turned left at a bridleway sign that took them down into the Nant Tinc valley where they crossed the Nant Tinc stream to turn right into a meadow. This led to a grassy (but in places very muddy) path between trees, climbing for a bit before descending to Pante Farm.
Just before the farm they turned left to reach an access drive to cottages before reaching the A484. From this point there was an easy three quarters of a mile stroll back along the road to the village hall. to